The Epidemiological Characteristics of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Europe: Focus on Italy

Giovanni Gabutti, Erica d’Anchera, Francesco De Motoli, Marta Savio and Armando Stefanati
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Giovanni Gabutti: Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 64/B, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Erica d’Anchera: Department of Medical Sciences, Postgraduate School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Francesco De Motoli: Department of Medical Sciences, Postgraduate School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Marta Savio: Department of Medical Sciences, Postgraduate School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Armando Stefanati: Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 64/B, 44121 Ferrara, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: Starting from December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has forcefully entered our lives and profoundly changed all the habits of the world population. The COVID-19 pandemic has violently impacted the European continent, first involving only some European countries, Italy in particular, and then spreading to all member states, albeit in different ways and times. The ways SARS-CoV-2 spreads are still partly unknown; to quantify and adequately respond to the pandemic, various parameters and reporting systems have been introduced at national and European levels to promptly recognize the most alarming epidemiological situations and therefore limit the impact of the virus on the health of the population. The relevant key points to implement adequate measures to face the epidemic include identifying the population groups most involved in terms of morbidity and mortality, identifying the events mostly related to the spreading of the virus and recognizing the various viral mutations. The main objective of this work is to summarize the epidemiological situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and Italy almost a year after the first reported case in our continent. The secondary objectives include the definition of the epidemiological parameters used to monitor the epidemic, the explanation of superspreading events and the description of how the epidemic has impacted on health and social structures, with a particular focus on Italy.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; epidemiology; preventive measures; public health; nursing homes; intensive care unit; mortality; lethality; R0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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